Antipathy Sympathy
- Level: 8
- School: Enchantment
- Class: Bard, Druid, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 hour
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a mix of vinegar and honey)
- Duration: 10 days
As you cast the spell, choose whether it creates antipathy or sympathy, and target one creature or object that is Huge or smaller. Then specify a kind of creature, such as red dragons, goblins, or vampires. A creature of the chosen kind makes a Wisdom saving throw when it comes within 120 feet of the target. Your choice of antipathy or sympathy determines what happens to a creature when it fails that save:
Antipathy. The creature has the Frightened condition. The Frightened creature must use its movement on its turns to get as far away as possible from the target, moving by the safest route.
Sympathy. The creature has the Charmed condition. The Charmed creature must use its movement on its turns to get as close as possible to the target, moving by the safest route. If the creature is within 5 feet of the target, the creature can't willingly move away. If the target damages the Charmed creature, that creature can make a Wisdom saving throw to end the effect, as described below.
Ending the Effect. If the Frightened or Charmed creature ends its turn more than 120 feet away from the target, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is no longer affected by the target. A creature that successfully saves against this effect is immune to it for 1 minute, after which it can be affected again.
Tactical Usage
When to Choose Antipathy/Sympathy:
- Ultimate area control for protecting or attracting specific creature types
- Excellent for long-term strategic positioning and territory control
- Strong choice for creating permanent safe zones or deadly traps
- Valuable for manipulating enemy movement patterns over extended periods
Effect Selection Strategy:
- Antipathy: Create no-go zones, protect areas from specific threats
- Sympathy: Lure specific creatures into traps or advantageous positions
- Creature Type Selection: Choose based on regional threats or tactical needs
- Target Selection: Objects last longer than creatures for permanent effects
Duration Management:
- 10-day duration provides exceptional long-term value
- 1-hour casting time requires protected ritual space
- No concentration required once cast
- Plan placement carefully due to extended commitment
Spell Combinations
Preparation Synergies:
- Glyph of Warding: Trigger additional effects when creatures approach
- Guards and Wards: Layer multiple protective enchantments
- Alarm: Early warning system for protected areas
- Teleportation Circle: Safe escape routes from sympathized areas
Area Control Combinations:
- Wall of Force: Physical barriers to channel creature movement
- Hallucinatory Terrain: Hide the true nature of affected areas
- Mirage Arcane: Create complex environmental interactions
- Private Sanctum: Prevent magical detection of your preparations
Material Component Details
Mix of Vinegar and Honey:
- Symbolism: Perfect representation of repulsion (vinegar) and attraction (honey)
- Availability: Common cooking ingredients, easily obtained
- Cost: Minimal (few silver pieces for quality ingredients)
- Preparation: Mix fresh for each casting for maximum potency
Roleplay Opportunities:
- Describe the symbolic mixing of opposing forces
- Reference the alchemical balance between attraction and repulsion
- Use component preparation as ritual meditation time
- Emphasize the deliberate choice between love and fear
Creator Notes
Adjudication Guidance:
- Creature type must be specific (red dragons, not just dragons)
- 120-foot range triggers effect automatically on approach
- Immunity lasts only 1 minute after successful save
- Effect persists even if caster dies or leaves area
Encounter Design Considerations:
- Creates long-term strategic implications for campaign areas
- Can fundamentally alter regional creature movement patterns
- NPCs can use this for dramatic territory control
- Consider how intelligent creatures adapt to or counter the effect
Balancing Notes:
- 8th-level slot cost appropriate for 10-day area control
- 1-hour casting time prevents abuse in tactical situations
- 60-foot range limits but doesn't eliminate strategic applications
- Wisdom save allows counterplay for affected creatures
Environmental Interactions
Territory Control:
- Creates invisible boundaries that reshape creature behavior
- Can protect settlements from specific monster types
- Useful for controlling access to valuable resources
- May inadvertently affect allied creatures of chosen type
Creature Behavior:
- Affected creatures take safest route, avoiding unnecessary dangers
- Sympathy doesn't override survival instincts completely
- Intelligent creatures may recognize and attempt to counter effect
- Social creatures may warn others about affected areas
Long-Term Campaign Impact:
- Can permanently alter regional politics and creature ecology
- May become known landmarks or hazards in the campaign world
- Other spellcasters might detect and attempt to dispel
- Could become focal points for larger conflicts
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Can creatures affected by sympathy be commanded directly? A: No, they're charmed but not controlled. They approach but act according to their nature.
Q: Does antipathy work on creatures that are already within 120 feet? A: They must make the save immediately when the spell is cast if they're in range.
Q: Can the same creature be affected multiple times per day? A: Yes, immunity only lasts 1 minute after a successful save.
Q: Does the effect work on creatures of the specified type in different forms? A: Generally yes, if their fundamental nature remains the same.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses:
- Pest Control: Permanently remove unwanted creature types from areas
- Wildlife Management: Control animal migration patterns
- Urban Planning: Keep dangerous creatures away from settlements
- Diplomatic Tool: Create neutral meeting zones free of specific threats
Creative Problem-Solving:
- Lure specific creatures into prepared ambush sites
- Create safe corridors through dangerous territories
- Protect valuable locations from theft by specific creature types
- Manipulate enemy troop movements in warfare
Related Spells
Area Control Magic:
- Guards and Wards: Comprehensive area protection
- Glyph of Warding: Triggered defensive effects
- Hallow: Sacred area with multiple protective effects
- Private Sanctum: Magical security and privacy
Enchantment Alternatives:
- Mass Suggestion: Direct behavioral control
- Geas: Long-term compulsion on individuals
- Dominate Monster: Complete creature control
- Charm Monster: Direct creature friendship
8th-Level Alternatives:
- Mind Blank: Ultimate mental protection
- Feeblemind: Devastating intellectual attack
- Antimagic Field: Complete magical denial
- Earthquake: Massive environmental manipulation
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression:
- Available at Level 15+: Ultimate strategic tool for highest-level campaigns
- Campaign Shaping: Can fundamentally alter regional dynamics
- Long-Term Value: 10-day duration provides exceptional utility per slot
Strategic Evolution:
- Early Access: Single-location protection or control
- Advanced Use: Multiple coordinated effects across regions
- Master Level: Campaign-wide territorial management
Long-Term Viability:
- Always useful for strategic positioning and area control
- Becomes more valuable as campaign scope expands
- Essential tool for high-level base management
- Unique utility that doesn't diminish with character advancement
Narrative Flavor
Extended Description: For a full hour, you carefully blend the bitter vinegar with sweet honey, each drop representing the fundamental forces of attraction and repulsion that govern mortal hearts. As the mixture swirls, you speak words of power that reach into the deepest instincts of living beings, programming their very souls to respond with either irresistible attraction or overwhelming revulsion. The magic settles like an invisible web around your chosen target, waiting patiently to ensnare the minds of those who dare approach.
Sensory Details:
- Olfactory: Contrasting scents of sharp vinegar and sweet honey
- Magical: Invisible but tangible emotional pressure in the affected area
- Emotional: Sense of profound manipulation of fundamental drives
- Temporal: Awareness of magic that will persist long after casting
Cultural Context: This spell represents the ultimate expression of emotional manipulation magic, touching on fundamental questions about free will and the ethics of behavioral control. Different cultures may view such magic as either sophisticated diplomacy or abhorrent mind control, influencing how NPCs react to its use and discovery.